Monday, July 14, 2014

They say that "Non-Stop" is "Taken" on a plane. Given that it stars Liam Nesson whose career was 'revived' after he was cast in the above mentioned film and it propelled his new career path as an action star. Not that he needed any reviving since Liam Neeson has always been a talented and quite steady character actor. But I like his new action star persona and it suits him well.

In this film, he is Bill Marks, an Air Marshall who is taken to task on a flight from London to New York. Someone has hacked his 'secure network' pager and sends him threatening messages that warn one passenger will be killed within 20 minutes if his demands are not met. The person sending the texts is also quite familiar with Marks personal background and also appears to be on the plane since he mentions things that Marks is doing.

Soon enough, it turns into a whodunit suspense mystery as we try to guess who among the passengers is the 'mastermind' of this sick plot. The tables are also turned when Marks begins to realize that whoever is texting him evidently wants people on the plane to think that Marks is somehow also involved in the plot.

Since the whole film has only one setting - the transatlantic flight - it is easier to navigate through the story. The director also has a way of tricking the audience into thinking that certain characters are suspicious by dropping clues that eventually lead nowhere. It is a good ploy to keep the audience guessing and tuned to the ongoing hijacking but it also makes you lose the bigger picture. Eventually when the real culprit(s) are revealed and their motives are exposed, it does not really make any fair sense because it got too murky in all the action sequences and the plot twists that are thrown at you.

Thankfully, the mere presence of Liam Nesson can do wonders and he is the true and only reason this averagely predictable film is worth watching. His advancing age does not hinder him. On the contrary it has only cemented his action star cinematic strength. It does not suggest a dwindling of power but rather an experienced weariness that makes his determination all the more dynamic.